Kyoto University’s main Yoshida Campus is in Sakyo-ku, in the northeast of the city. It is one of the most popular student areas in Kyoto, with old wooden houses, small cafes, and the Kamo River close by. If you are planning to live off campus, a good first step is to look at apartments for rent in Kyoto by ward, then narrow your search to places within cycling distance of your faculty.
Here is what international students should know before renting near Kyoto University.
Around Yoshida and Hyakumanben. This is the closest option to the main campus. Many students walk or cycle to class in a few minutes. Rooms here tend to be small and go quickly before each semester.
Demachiyanagi. Located where the Kamo and Takano rivers meet, Demachiyanagi has a shopping street and two rail lines: the Keihan Line toward central Kyoto and Osaka, and the Eizan Line toward northern Sakyo. It is a good choice if you travel often.
Northern Sakyo (Mototanaka, Ichijoji, Shugakuin). These areas along the Eizan Line are quieter and often offer more space for the same budget. The trade-off is a slightly longer ride or cycle to campus.
Kamigyo-ku and areas west of the Kamo River. These suit students who want quick access to the subway and the city center while still cycling to campus.
Kyoto is fairly flat and compact, and the buses can be crowded, especially during tourist seasons. That is why many students choose an apartment within cycling distance of campus. When you view a room, check whether the building has bicycle parking, whether it costs extra, and whether you need to register your bike.
Renting a private apartment in Kyoto usually involves:
Most landlords and agencies will ask for your residence card, passport, proof of enrollment, and an emergency contact. Nearly all private rentals also require a guarantor company. Check with your university’s international office, since some schools offer support or discounts with partner guarantor companies.
Begin about two to three months before you arrive. Rooms near the main campus are in high demand in March and September, before each semester starts. If you are still overseas, ask for video viewings so you can see the room, the light, and the street before you commit.
For more neighborhoods and money-saving ideas, see our guide to budget student rooms near Kyoto.
Living near Kyoto University gives you easy access to class, quiet streets, and some of the city’s best student life. The right area depends on how you balance distance, budget, and transport. Arealty helps international students find apartments in Kyoto with English support throughout the rental process.
If your job takes you to Tokyo, Nagoya, or Hiroshima every few weeks, where you live in Osaka matters more than usual. Shin-Osaka is the city’s only Shinkansen station, so living nearby can save you a lot of time on every trip. Before you start comparing apartments for rent in Osaka, it helps to understand what the Shin-Osaka area is really like as a place to live.
Shin-Osaka sits just north of the Yodo River, about 4 km from Umeda. The area around the station is split between two wards: Yodogawa-ku on the west side and Higashiyodogawa-ku on the east side.
Right around the station, you will mostly see hotels, offices, and taxi ranks. It can feel more like a transport hub than a neighborhood. The quieter residential streets start a few blocks away, and that is where most renters end up living.
Shin-Osaka works best if you:
If you want restaurants, bars, and shopping on your doorstep, you may prefer central areas and travel to Shin-Osaka only when you need the Shinkansen.
According to Arealty’s Shin-Osaka guide, which uses athome station averages checked in October 2026, a 1K near Shin-Osaka Station costs around ¥67,300 per month, and a 2LDK costs about ¥127,500. These are base rents only. Management fees are usually extra.
Nearby stations can offer a different balance. Higashi-Mikuni, one stop north on the Midosuji Line, costs a little more on average but feels quieter and more residential.
Remember to budget for move-in costs too. A deposit, key money, an agency fee, and a guarantor company fee can add several months of rent before you get the keys.
Life near Shin-Osaka is practical. You will find supermarkets, convenience stores, and casual restaurants on the residential side of the station. Because many people here are business travelers or commuters, the area tends to empty out on weekends around the station itself, while the residential blocks keep a steady local feel.
The main downsides are noise and atmosphere close to the tracks and main roads. When you view an apartment, check which direction the windows face and listen for train and traffic noise at different times of day.
Yes. The Naniwasuji Line, targeted for spring 2031, is planned to link Shin-Osaka and Umekita directly with the Namba area and shorten the trip to Kansai Airport. Longer term, other Shinkansen extensions are planned to reach Shin-Osaka, although their opening dates are not fixed yet.
For rent figures by station, daily life details, and the pros and cons, read our full guide to living in Shin-Osaka.
Shin-Osaka is not the most exciting part of the city, but for frequent travelers it can be one of the most convenient. If you split your time between Osaka and other cities, living close to the Shinkansen can make every trip easier. Arealty helps foreign residents find apartments across Osaka with English support from the first search to move-in day.
Kyoto and Osaka are only about 15 minutes apart by JR Special Rapid, and monthly rent in many wards is similar. But sign a lease in each city and the bill on move-in day can look very different. If you are comparing Kyoto apartments for rent, these are the contract terms that matter most.
Kyoto follows the same system as Tokyo:
Osaka mostly uses a different system, with a larger deposit (hoshokin) and a fixed deduction at move-out (shikibiki).
The same number of months can cost very different amounts. An Osaka unit with a 3-month deposit and 2-month shikibiki costs 3 months upfront, because the deduction is taken from the deposit. A Kyoto unit with a 3-month deposit and 2-month key money costs 5 months upfront, because key money is paid on top.
The fix is simple: convert every fee into yen before you compare two listings.
A government survey by Japan's land ministry found that 55.1% of Kyoto Prefecture rentals set a renewal fee (koshinryo). In Osaka and Hyogo, the figure was 0%. Kyoto is also where the well-known renewal fee lawsuits began. In 2011, Japan's Supreme Court ruled that these clauses are valid unless the amount is unreasonably high.
In practice, expect about 1 month's rent every 2 years. That adds roughly 4% to your yearly housing cost. Some older contracts still use 1-year terms, so check the contract length too.
Get the answers in writing. Most problems foreign renters face in Kyoto come from these clauses, not from the apartment itself.
Plan on 4 to 6 months of rent upfront. On a ¥65,000 unit, that means about ¥260,000 to ¥390,000 before you get the keys. Single-person units in Kyoto City average about ¥54,000 in Sakyo and Kita wards and up to ¥85,000 in Shimogyo.
For rent by ward and station, machiya rentals and a full cost breakdown, see this Kyoto apartment rental guide.
Look for no key money listings to cut your upfront cost. You can filter current Kyoto apartments for rent by ward, station and initial fees, or compare with apartments for rent in Osaka and Tokyo. Arealty explains each contract clause in English before you sign.
Read the fees as carefully as the floor plan, and Kyoto apartments for rent become much easier to compare fairly.
A job transfer, a cheaper life, a change of pace: more foreign residents are moving from Tokyo to Osaka every year. The trip is only about 2.5 hours by Shinkansen, but renting in Osaka works a little differently. Here are five things to know before you start looking at Osaka apartments for rent.
A 1K studio costs about ¥58,000 to ¥75,500 a month in most Osaka City wards. In Tokyo's 23 wards, a typical single unit is well over ¥100,000. Many people moving down use the difference to upgrade from a 1K to a 1LDK, or to live closer to the center than they could in Tokyo.
Kansai leases often include shikibiki, a fixed part of your deposit that the landlord keeps when you move out, even if the room is spotless. It is legal and common. Ask for the exact deducted amount in writing before you sign, so you compare listings in yen, not months.
Tokyo runs on 50Hz electricity and Osaka on 60Hz. TVs, laptops and air conditioners are fine, but older washing machines and microwaves labeled "50Hz only" may not work properly. Check the label before paying to move them. Replacing an old washer is often cheaper than shipping it.
File a moving-out notice at your Tokyo ward office, then a moving-in notice at your new Osaka ward office within 14 days of arriving. National Health Insurance moves at the same time. Set up Japan Post mail forwarding one or two weeks before you leave.
Osaka's Midosuji Line connects Shin-Osaka, Umeda, Namba and Tennoji, so living near it keeps most of the city within about 20 minutes.
Give notice on your Tokyo apartment one to two months ahead, book movers early, and avoid March and April when moving prices run 1.5 to 1.7 times higher. A single person usually pays about ¥80,000 to ¥100,000 for a full-service mover outside peak season.
For mover prices, a full paperwork checklist and a week-by-week timeline, read this guide to moving from Tokyo to Osaka.
The hardest part is finding a place from 400 km away. Browse Osaka apartments for rent by ward, train line and budget, or compare with apartments for rent across Japan. Arealty handles online viewings, applications and guarantor setup in English, so you can sign before you leave Tokyo.
Sort the contract details early, and Osaka apartments for rent can give you more space and a shorter commute than you ever had in Tokyo.
Shinjuku is home to Waseda University and a large share of Tokyo's Japanese language schools, especially around Takadanobaba, Shin-Okubo and Yoyogi. Many students start by searching for Shinjuku apartments for rent, then realize that living one or two stations outside the ward often makes more sense. Here is how to decide.
Inside the ward, a 1K or 1DK averages about ¥100,800 a month (Hato Mark Site, April 2026). That is high for a student budget, but there are pockets that work:
If you can walk to school, you save both the commute and the cost of a train pass.
If your budget is tighter, choose a neighborhood with no transfers to Shinjuku Station:
A direct line also keeps your student commuter pass (teikiken) cheaper, because the pass covers one railway company without transfers.
Walking distance matters almost as much as the area. As a rough guide for a 1K near Shinjuku-bound lines:
|
Walk to station |
Typical 1K rent |
|---|---|
|
0 to 5 minutes |
over ¥90,000 |
|
5 to 10 minutes |
¥75,000 to ¥85,000 |
|
15 minutes or more |
under ¥70,000 |
A 12-minute walk with a bicycle is often the best value for students.
Most landlords ask for a residence card, proof of enrollment, proof of funds (scholarship or parental support), and a guarantor company. Start with a share house or dorm if you are arriving before you have a residence card, then move into your own apartment later.
This guide to direct train access to Shinjuku for students compares the Chuo, Keio and Odakyu lines in more detail, with full move-in cost examples.
See what is available now on the Shinjuku apartments for rent page, or widen your search to apartments for rent along any line into Shinjuku. Arealty works with landlords who accept student visas and helps you in English from the first inquiry.
The right student apartment is not always in Shinjuku. Often it is one direct train away, and searching Shinjuku apartments for rent alongside those stations shows you the full picture.